Beat The Heat

Back in Late May a friend of mine called me and asked if I wanted to fly to San Francisco to run the Marathon. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and began to train in earnest. The only problem was that in the Northeast we were approaching summer running conditions and that means both [...]

Running On Flat Ground

I recently visited the New Jersey coast and had a great run on a very flat surface. Almost any time you run on the eastern seaboard of the Atlantic Ocean you will find the terrain to be very flat and windy. While this may seem to make for an easier run be aware there are some inherent difficulties.

Running in The Rain

Running in the rain is a great way to train your mind. I know it’s is difficult to get out the door when it’s raining. I think our brains are wired from when our mothers told us not to go out in the rain. The way I see it, the rain does a variety of good things to help distance runners.

Prepare For Your Next Race

When race day approaches you want to feel that you have prepared depending on the course and distance to be run. What I mean is that if it’s going to be flat train on flats. If the race is run on hills — train on hills. If the course is know to be windy but is flat throw in some hills to simulate the drag of a good strong wind.

Running Shoes – Part 2

There are two rules of thumb that I use to determine if a pair of shoes should be moved out of my three pair rotation. The first rule is that no matter how many running miles I have invested in a shoe, they are gone if my knees begin to get sore.

Running Shoes – Part 1

I like running shoes and I like hunting down a great pair of running shoes at a terrific price. Buying running shoes takes research and sometimes patience to find what you are looking for. But this is one piece of equipment that has to be right for you. I remember the first time I bought the wrong shoes. It almost cost me being able to run in the New York City Marathon after training for six months. I had no idea a pair of running shoes that were not correct for my feet could cause so many problems including sore hips, knees and plantar fasciitis.

Long Runs

Many of things I’m going write about you may already know from your experience. I believe that anyone who wants to run a marathon, not just survive, needs to do at least 4 to 5- 18+ miles runs (I prefer 22 mile runs) prior to the marathon but no closer than four weeks before the race. When you have built up enough endurance to finally run this distance for the first time you need to take a partner that has run this distance before and has the experience. Even if you have done this distance before but haven’t done it in a half year or more, you should have someone along or at least have someone waiting at the finish to help you.

Fluids

      The summer months are great for talking about fluids and you can find tons of articles on the subject. What amazes me is that I drink a lot in the winter too. The subject of fluids and dehydration is one that should be talked about year round. I remember a time when coaches discouraged [...]

Build Up

The art of running long distance is not as mysterious as many people think. I know many of you have run marathons in the past or are currently training for your next marathon or long distance race — maybe even an Ultra. But I think we can all agree that many times we don’t take the time to properly build-up our endurance for the race ahead. As a group, we often seek the “short cut” to getting prepared for race day. I will contend from experience that this is not a good idea.